Instagram update launches 'disappearing video' to rival Snapchat

New feature: Instagram has launched 'disappearing video' to rival Snapchat
Getty Images
Saphora Smith22 November 2016

Instagram has introduced a “disappearing video” feature in a move to rival Snapchat.

The disappearing video, which vanishes once the footage has been opened and viewed, is a signature feature of Snapchat and will further increase competition between the two brands.

Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, has already tried to squeeze Snapchat’s share of the market by launching Instagram Stories in August, allowing users to publish collections of images and video each day.

The brand is also launching a live video option which Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said is a crucial feature for the Facebook “family of apps.”

Instagram boss Kevin Systrom told the Financial Times earlier this month that the next step for the app is to let users broadcast live.

"Live video on Instagram Stories helps you connect with your friends and followers right now.

“When you're done, your live story disappears from the app so you can feel more comfortable sharing anything, anytime," the social app said in blog post.

The best apps for Londoners

1/12

"It's easy to go live - just swipe right from feed to open the camera, tap the 'Start Live Video' button and start sharing for up to an hour.

“Your friends may get a notification when you go live so they can tune in. While you're live, you can pin a comment for everyone to see or turn comments off altogether."

Instagram also said that disappearing photos and videos, sent using the app's Direct feature, can be sent to one - or groups - of contacts.

A new paper air plane icon is being added to the app as an inbox for this content.

The social media site said an app update for disappearing would start to become available from Monday, and live video will be arriving in the "coming weeks".

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in